Glove powdering device



ch 17, 1936. J. J.'NEWMAN 2,034,592

GLOVE POWDERING DEVI CE Filed Oct 51, 1935 INVENTOR BY fl I i A ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIQE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to. new and useful improvements in apparatus for powdering rubber gloves.

It is the object of the: present invention to provide a machine whereby rubber gloves may be powdered so that they will easily slip on the.

hands without wastage of powder and the contamination of the atmosphere in the room where the powdering operation is carried, on. The apparatus is particularly adapted for use in hospitals where, as well known, large quantities of rubber gloves must be powdered daily for use by surgeons and nurses.

In order more clearly to explain the nature of my invention a preferred embodiment thereof will be described in detail in connection with the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the device; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-section along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

I is an outside drum of sheet metal or the like having in its side wall an opening closed by a sliding door 2 which, by means of a handle 3, may be moved back and forth within guides 4 provided in the drum I to expose or close the interior of the drum. The drum I is supported on stub shafts 5 and 6 passing through its end walls. The stub shafts 5 and 6 are carried in bearings I and 8, respectively, provided in uprights 9 and III, the latter ,being fastened to a base II The portions of the stub shafts which are within the bearings I and 8 are provided with a groove as indicated at I2, the groove being engaged by a screw such as I3 projecting through the uprights so as to steady the stub shafts during rotation.

The ends of the stub shafts projecting within the drum I project through the end walls of an inner drum It provided within the drum I. By means of a set screw such as I5 and a flange such as 16, the inner ends of the stub shafts are fastened to the end walls of drum I4 so that the. latter will rotate with the stub shafts. wall of the inner drum I4 is perforated and is provided with an opening which, as in the case of the outer drum I, may be closed or opened by means of a sliding door I! having a handle I8. By opening the sliding doors 2 and I1 access may be had to the interior of drum I4 to deposit the rubber gloves and powder therein.

In order thoroughly to distribute the powder over the surfaces of the gloves, the drum I I is. rotated by turning the crank I9 fastened to the end of stub shaft 5 projecting beyond the up- The side,

right. Normally, the crank I9 is locked against rotation. by a. pin 20 engaging an opening 2| in the upright 9. To free the crank t9 the pin 20 is withdrawn against the tension of a spring 22 and then rotated so that a lug 23 which normally penetrates within a perforation 24 of the crank rests on the upper surface thereof and holds pin 26 in the position shown in Fig. 1.

During the rotation of the drum the gloves are thoroughly mingled with the powder, the constant redistribution of the glovesv being insured by projections 25 on the inside wall of drum I4. These projections have sloping side walls andare triangular in cross-section so that the gloves will be merely dislodged and cannot accumulate trough 26. consists of a perforated plate 21 below which is provided a sliding drawer 28 within an extension 29. of trough 26. By means of a handle 30 the drawer 28: may be withdrawn to remove the powder accumulated therein.

The powder clinging to the outside surface of the drum I4 may be removed by means of a brush 3i provided on a rotatable shaft 32 journaled in the end walls of outer drum I. By means of a handle 33. fastened to the. end of the shaft 32 projecting to the outside of drum I, the

brush 3! may be swung into or out of engagement with the drum M- in order to sweep off the, powder particles as the drum I4 rotates.

The thorough powdering of the gloves is further insured by permitting the operator to cou- 35 ple at will the outside drum I with the rotating stub'shafts 5 and 6 so that the powder that had, sifted through into drum I and at least part of the powder collected in the drawer 28 may be sifted back inside the drum I4 through the per- 4.0

forated wall. thereof. Normally, the drum I remains stationary duringv the rotation of the stub shaft. When the operator desires to operate the drum I he moves a lever 35 provided; on

the base; II. The lever 35; is pivotedat 36 and is.

so coupled with two rods 31 and 38 that when the lever is swung in one direction it will longitudinally displace rod 31 from left to right and rod 38 from right to left, and when the lever is swung in the opposite direction it will longitudinally displace the rods in the opposite directions. In response to the displacements of rods 3'! and 38, arms 39 and 40 are oscillated on their pivots 4| and 42 provided on the uprights. One extreme position of the arms 39 and 40 is indicated in 2 solid lines in Fig. 1 and the other extreme position is indicated in dotted lines in connection with arm 39. The upper ends of the arms 39 and 40 are forked as indicated at 43 and 44, the forked ends carrying pins such as 45 engaging grooved hubs 46 and 41 provided on driving pulleys 48 and 49, respectively. The driving pulleys 48, 49 are slidably mounted on the stub shafts 5 and 6 and normally rotate therewith. When the arms 39 and 40 are swung into the positions shown in Fig. 1, the pulleys 48 and 49 are displaced on the stub shafts towards the end walls of the drum I until the two pins 59, projecting from the inside faces of the pulleys, drop within corresponding perforations provided in plates 5| and 52 fastened to the end walls of the drum I. The drum I will now rotate with the stub shafts 5 and 6 and the powder contained in drum I will be dumped back on the inside drum I4.

Baflle plates such as 53 projecting from the inside surface of drum I insure the distribution of the powder. Furthermore, belts 54 and 55 driven by the pulleys 48 and 49 cause the rotation of a brush 56 journaled in the end walls of drum I and engaging the perforated plate 21 at the bottom of trough 26. The brush 56 will distribute the powder collected at the bottom of the trough as well as the powder that may sift back through plate 21 from the door 28 when, for instance, the drum I is moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The coupling of the outside drum with the inside drum may be repeated as often as required to insure the thorough distribution of the powder. Before the door 2 is opened, the outside drum I must be swung back into its normal position and uncoupled from the stub shafts, whereupon the handle I9 is rotated until the pin 29 can be caused to reengage the opening 2|. The two drums will now be in their normal position and the powdered gloves may be removed by opening the sliding doors. Since the drum I tightly seals the inside drum, the powder particles cannot escape into the atmosphere and the collection of all the free powder particles in the drawer 28 can be assured before the drums are opened.

The above described operations are carried on until the gloves are thoroughly and uniformly powdered and all the excess powder has been collected in drawer 28. The sliding door 2 will be opened only when the space between the two drums is cleared of powder, whereby no floating powder can escape into the atmosphere.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for powdering rubber gloves, an outside drum having solid sealed walls, an inside drum within said outside drum and having a perforated wall, means for rotating the inside drum, means operable at will for coupling said outside drum for rotation with the inside drum, and doors in the walls of said drums.

2. In a device for powdering rubber gloves, an outside drum having solid sealed walls, an inside drum within said outside drum and having a perforated wall, projections on the inside surfaces of the walls of the inside drum. slidin doors in the walls of the inside and outside drums normally substantially in alignment with one another, an extension on said outside drum, a drawer within said extension, means for rotating the inside drum, a clutch for coupling said outside drum with the inside drum, and baffles projecting from the inside surface of the outside drum.

3. In a device for powdering rubber gloves, an outside drum having solid sealed walls, an inside drum within said outside drum and having a perforated wall, stub shafts passing through the end walls of the outside drum and fastened to the end walls of the inside drum, projections on the inside surface of the inside drum, sliding doors in the walls of the inside and outside drums normally substantially in alignment with one another, said outside drum having a troughshaped portion the bottom of which is perforated, an extension on said outside drum below the perforated bottom of the trough, a drawer within said extension, a rotatable brush engaging the perforated bottom of said trough, means for rotating one of said stub shafts and the inside drum therewith, pulleys rotatable with said stub shaft and axially displaceable thereon, belts connecting said pulleys with said rotary brush, pivoted arms for moving said pulleys with respect to said outside drum to couple the latter with the stub shafts, a brush mounted in said outside drum and cooperating with the outside surface of the inside drum, means for moving the last mentioned brush into and out of engagement with the inside drum, and baffles projecting from the inside surface of the outside drum.

4. In a device for powdering rubber gloves, an outside drum having solid sealed walls, an inside drum within said outside drum and having a perforated wall, stub shafts passing through the end Walls of the outside drum and fastened to the end walls of the inside drum, projections triangular in cross-section on the inside surfaces of the wall of the inside drum, sliding doors in the walls of the inside and outside drums normally substantially in alignment with one another, said outside drum having a trough-shaped portion the bottom of which is perforated, an extension on said outside drum below the perforated bottom of the trough, a drawer within said extension, a rotatable brush engaging the perforated bottom of said trough, means for rotating one of said stub shafts and the inside drum therewith, pul leys rotatable with said stub shaft and axially displaceable thereon, belts connecting said pulleys with said rotary brush, pivoted arms for moving said pulleys with respect to said outside drum to couple the latter with the stub shafts, a brush mounted in said outside drum and cooperating with the outer surface of the inside drum, means for moving the last mentioned brush into and out of engagement with the inside drum, bafiles projecting from the inside surface of the outside drum, and means for locking the crank in a normal position.

JAMES J. NEWMAN. 

